The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-04-28
roo MuoH PRoHLBITION.


paid up for his paper and said he
wanted us to stop 1t. Upon asking him
the reason for such rash act he stated
that it was too much prohibition, - re-
marking further, in substance, that he
had understood we intended to publish
the names of the men and women who
had signed petitions for druggists in
this city to sell for the excepted pur-
poses. We replied that we had in
tended TO publish the names. We have
been reliably informed that the drug
gist don't want the names published
and that the women who signed the
petition don't want the names pub
lished and it is apparent that those who
are in the habit of getting their ''nips"
at the drug stores don't want the
names published. With the intention
of making prohibition absolute and
not farce the last Legislature passed
an act requiring petition TO be filed
with the Probate Judge, signed by at
least twenty-five men and twenty-five
women in the ward where the drug
store is kept, before the druggist could
sell liquor even for the excepted pur-
poses. At least one petition purporting
to be thus signed was filed with the
Probate Judge. Now, no one should
il they are all genuine signatures and
the purpose is to sell strictly
| in accordance with the law.
But when the druggist himself
objects, and the women object,
and, last, those who wish to get an oc-
casional drink, object, declaring it is
''too much prohibition" to publish the
names, what are we to think? If the
women who signed the petition and
the druggist who solicited them to do
so, were, in good faith, DESTROYS of hav-
ing the article sold in strict conformity
i to law, why should any of them object
| to having their names published as
signers of the petition? If, under the
petition, it is to be sold only according
to law, why should the occasional
drinker, who thinks there is ''toO much
druggist? The whole thing is too
transparently thin to deceive even an
/ Australian idiot. It further shows
| what we always claimed, that the in
PRODUCTION of women into politics,
under the pretense of advancing the
cause of temperance, is delusion
of a dangerous character. The
names of twenty-five women
upon a petition does not change man
from a sinner to a saint. They do not
know as much about men as men know
about each other in the same commu-
nifty. Therefore, if they act at all, they
are more likely to act enormously
even in the regulation and sale OF
liquor. Parties do not want theiI
names published WhyP The reader
can answer. Must laws in a republic
can government be enforced by secret
methods? Must Difference to the
tender feelings of women screen then
, from the consequences of their public
, acts and smother petitions in the darE
recesses of a Probate Judges Office
, among the sorrowful proceedings and
, uninviting records of estates, mar
riages and whisky permits? Why
should the petitions not be published
Are they fOrgeriesI Are they fairly
integrity of the druggist in adherinl
! to tile letter and spirit of the law,
Have the facts been misrepresenteC
to the women to get then
to sign the petitions? If so
the public should know it. What
interest has the man who wants to gel
: an occasional drink in suppressine
these petitions, if the druggist means
to sell only for the excepted purposes!
He is mistaken as to what is best fol-
him. 1t is vermifuge he wants, moi
, whisky. The Legislature, in passing
this law, requiring the signatures OF
twenty-five men and twenty-five women
to petition, added nothing to its wis
: dom or craftsmanship by inserting
such provision. The same women
that signed one petition, to be consis-
tent, must not refuse to sign another
for an equally reputable druggist
Equal priv ileges to all, exclusive privi
leges to none, is a principle that should
! be constantly borne in mind. The
/ public records, including petitions OF
, file, should always be open to public
inspection and published in all cases
where it is believed the public interest
will be subserved by doing so. The
desire to cover up these petition:
throws a doubt over the purity of pur
pose on the part of all concerned anC
weakens the very cause which, in the
J misguided judgment of the Legislature
its act was intended to strengthen
Republican.
A casual perusal of the above article
might lead one to think that the Govern
or had become one of the most radical o.
temperance advocates, and that h,
thoroughly favored strict enforce
ment of the Murray liquor law. But
moro careful reading will reveal that il
is the law itself that he is driving al
and which he wishes to make odiou:
because of its impracticability and tina
he himself proposes to add to its i'm
practicability by declaring that he viii
publish the names of any ladies whC
may sign petitions for permits for drug
gists to carry on their business as pre-
scribed by the best and strongest pro
hibition law ever placed on the statut,
books of any state in our country, an(
r asks his readers why the names shoulC
} not be published, if the liquor is to b,
{ sold according to law.
! Another reason for his opposition t,
: the law is plainly revealed in the sen
r fences: at further shows what we al
} ways claimed that the introduction o.
} women into politics, under the pre-
: tense of advancing the cause of tenn
: perance is a delusion of a dangerous
} character. The names of twenty-five
women on petition does not change I
man from a sinner to a saint"
But, the strong point in the argumen
of the Republican is the query as Il
why women who may sign petitions fol
decent drug store licenses do not wisl
their names published. The Governo
well knew the reason when he mad
the query.
Il Very few ladies care to make them
selves notorious, no matter what tn
cause or however right they may be il
their action, and very few would car
to have their names paraded before thu
public Though the newspapers a
signers of a petition for a liquor hcens'
for drug store, no matter how strong
was their belief that they were doinl
right in signing the petition.
Nevertheless, the law plainly re
quires that these petitions should b,
: signed by women, or drug stores shall
not be allowed to sell liquor AT thu
!, same time nearly all of our best physi
clans say that the disease most danger
! GUS and most prevalent in this state il
: typhoid-malarial fever, and that it Cal
? only be treated successfully by alec
! holic medicines.